Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurological condition which affects the brain cells called neurons. The neurons send send and receive electrochemical messages by means of connections called synapses. These electrochemical messages allow us to think, remember, and speak. Alzheimer's disease has a unique characteristic breakdown or deterioration of these neurons throughout the brain. Portions of the brain are damaged and forms deposits of degenerating neurons and processes neuritic plaques, and filamentous material called neurofibrillary tangles, they disrupt the flow of these electrochemical messages. As people grow old, it is normal for some of these neuritic plaques and Neurofibrillary tangles to form. But in Alzheimer's disease, these neuritic plaques and Neurofibrillary tangles form at very large number, making it harder to think, remember, and perform simple tasks which leads to personality changes and difficult behaviors. In its later stages, Alzheimer’s Disease advances to dementia and eventually death.
Types of Alzheimer's Disease
The two types of Alzheimer's disease are:
* Sporadic Alzheimer's disease - this type accounts for more than 90 per cent of cases. Adult men and women of all ages can be affected, although most cases occur in people over the age of 65 years. It can take up to 20 years for the disease to develop.
* Familial Alzheimer's disease - this rare type is caused by a genetic mutation. The age of onset is earlier than for sporadic Alzheimer's disease, with symptoms appearing when the person is aged in their 40s or 50s.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Early symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
* Forgetfulness
* Loss of concentration
* Forgetting names
Progressing symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
* Memory loss
* Forgetting how to do everyday tasks
* Thinking difficulty
* Difficulty speaking
* Difficulty reading
* Language deterioration
* Impaired visual skills
* Impaired spatial skills
* Poor judgment
* Confusion
* Disorientation
Later symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
* Indifferent attitude
* Apathy
* Anxiety
* Depression
* Aggression
* Wandering
* Normal motor function
* Cognition disintegration
* Personality disintegration
* Suspicion
* Hostility
* Aggression
* Inability to function
* Loss of speech
* Difficulty swallowing
* Drooling
* Incontinence
Causes of Alzheimer's Disease
* Advancing age - the incidence of Alzheimer's disease increases with age.
* Down syndrome - a person with Down syndrome has an increased risk because they have an extra chromosome.
* Family history - each child of a parent who carries the familial Alzheimer's gene has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the disease.
* Environmental factors - researchers are investigating possible environmental causes, such as head injuries and other stresses. The results so far are inconclusive.
* Unknown - for most people who develop Alzheimer's disease, no known risk factors can be found.
Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease
There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. The only available treatment is the use of drugs that boost the efficiency of damaged neurones. Drugs can also ease some of the secondary symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, such as depression.
